The present invention relates to visors and particularly to a molded visor with an integral vanity mirror frame.
Visors are a necessity in automobiles, but over the years automobile visors have provided a convenient location for a number of vehicle accessories, notably vanity mirrors which may be illuminated for use under low ambient light conditions. There have been a multitude of visor designs balancing several major design concerns, function (to block sunlight or glare), cost (materials and manufacture), appearance, and features (additional functionality). As the manufacture of visors has matured, so have the expectations of the consumer. Vanity mirrors in visors and high class appearance have become expected in visors even in lower priced automobiles. To date, visors have been molded in various ways, such as molded in one-piece from a rigid plastic foam and covered as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,792 or by utilizing a clam-shell core construction which is covered by a fabric material as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,033,005 and 5,984,398, or integrally molded with an outer covering as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,725 and 5,720,509. Typically, the upholstery is selected to match other upholstered portions of the trim package for the automobile, adding material cost and manufacturing and assembly cost. Accessories which are attached to visors typically are mounted within a recess formed in the visor core as, for example, disclosed in the above '725 patent utilizing snap-in fasteners, adhesives or conventional fastening screws. Such mounting methods require additional fasteners and manufacturing steps to accomplish. The '797 and '509 patents disclose visors molded around an accessory (such as a vanity or a garage door opener) which are placed in the mold before plastic injection.